In Macon County the two things people price against each other are an enclosed portable building and an open-sided metal carport. They are not the same product and the cheaper one is not always the better buy. Here is the honest split.
What a carport is good at
Cost per square foot of roof, and nothing else comes close. If all you need is to keep rain and direct sun off something large, a carport covers more ground for less money than any enclosed structure. It is also fast and it goes up on relatively simple ground.
For hay, for a boat you tarp anyway, for a camper you just need out of the sun, or for covered work space next to an existing building, a carport is a reasonable answer.
What a carport is bad at
Everything else. It does not keep out blowing rain, which in a Tennessee thunderstorm means the thing under it gets wet from the side. It does not stop dust, leaves, birds or wasps. It does not stop humidity, so metal under a carport still rusts and upholstery still molds. It provides no security whatsoever; anything under it is visible and available to anyone who drives by. And it does not give you walls, which means no shelving, no bench, no hooks, no organization.
What the enclosed building buys you
Walls and a door. That turns covered ground into usable space: shelving on the walls, a bench, hooks for long tools, a lock on the door, and a controlled environment you can insulate and wire. Our finish-out packages include electrical, flooring and wall coverings, and spray foam insulation makes it usable year round. None of that is possible under a carport.
It also does not become a sail. An open structure in a straight-line wind event catches air under the roof, and that is a well known failure mode.
The security difference is bigger than the price difference
Think about what is going under there. A mower, a UTV, a boat, tools. Under a carport all of it is visible from the road and takes nothing but a trailer to remove. Behind a locked door with a heavy hasp and a shrouded padlock, it is a different proposition entirely.
How to decide
Ask what you are protecting from. If the answer is only sun and vertical rain, and the item has no theft value, buy the carport. If the answer includes humidity, blowing weather, dust, pests, theft, or you want to work in the space, buy the enclosed building. If you need both, a lot of people put an enclosed building up and add a lean-to or park under an adjacent carport for the low-value bulky things.
Sizing an enclosed building for equipment
Measure the longest thing including tongue or bucket and add four feet; measure the widest and add three. Order a 9 or 10 foot door for anything driving in. 12×24 minimum for a tractor or a boat, 14×32 to walk around it. We build up to 16×60.
Cost, base and coverage
Buildings start at $1,900 for a C+ Utility 6×8 and $2,762 for a Cardinal Utility 8×8. Set on a level gravel pad about a foot larger than the building on all sides; concrete if a vehicle is going in. Every Cardinal building carries our 10 year guarantee covering acts of nature such as storm damage and settling plus our craftsmanship, with a 50 year LP SmartSide siding warranty and a lifetime AdvanTech floor warranty, claims handled by us. Rent-to-own has no credit check, 24 to 60 months, from $75.44 a month, first two months down, no early payoff fee.
Get Started on Your Lafayette Building
You do not have to drive to a lot to get moving. Use our 3D Shed Builder to pick your size, siding, colors, doors, windows and add-ons and see the building take shape on screen. When it looks right, send it to us and we will confirm pricing and a delivery date for Lafayette.
Prefer to talk it through? Call our main office at 618-518-5578. We will walk you through building styles, custom options and rent-to-own and financing, and answer anything on our FAQ page. You can also see what we serve nearby on our location page.
